Three civilians were killed and two others injured during the crossfire between the African Union peacekeeping forces and Al-Shabaab militants in southern Somalia on Monday, the African Union Mission to Somalia (Amisom) admitted on Tuesday.

Francisco Madeira, the head of Amisom, said the incident in which three women were killed in the crossfire while two were injured occurred when Al-Shabaab terrorists laid an ambush on the main supply route in an area northeast of Janaale in the Lower Shabelle region.

"Our Amisom forces on a tip-off engaged the terrorists and, unfortunately, some civilians were caught in the line of fire, resulting in casualties," Madeira said in a statement issued in Mogadishu on Tuesday evening.

He said the terrorists planned to attack and disrupt the movement of people and goods in the area.

The AU mission head said the injured are currently receiving treatment at the Amisom hospital.